The Bulls finally look cooked, so complete this thought: If the Bulls get Derrick Rose back next year …

Steve Aschburner, NBA.com:… we’ll be talking about other guys’ injuries. Or Rose’s injuries other than his left anterior cruciate ligament. This wasn’t a case of one-and-done in Chicago this season – the Bulls have struggled with hurt and missing players for a while now. Rose only played 39 games in the post-lockout schedule of 2011-12. Luol Deng has missed all or parts of three playoff runs. Kirk Hinrich is a walking Ace bandage and Joakim Noah seemingly isn’t built for 82 games-at-35-minutes per. Coach Tom Thibodeau doesn’t sweat the 2 1/2 hours he uses his guys on game nights because he expects them to be professional about body maintenance the other 21 1/2 hours. But something has to give, either in Thibodeau’s minutes distribution, in the trainer’s room or in Chicago’s new policy for 2013-14 of team-sponsored three-week sabbaticals for each starter, staggered from January through March.

Fran Blinebury, NBA.com: Assuming Rose can dunk off his left foot by October, the Bulls are right back as a — maybe “the” — prime challenger to Miami in the East. Thibs will see to that.

Jeff Caplan, NBA.com: They will be an Eastern Conference contender. How can they not be? No way can they suffer a season like this again, not just with Rose out, but with the myriad of injuries and craziness (spinal tap gone wrong?). Jimmy Butler is only going to get better and Rose should — I say, should — be back for training camp primed for a huge seasons.

Scott Howard-Cooper, NBA.com:… they will open as the second-best team in the East. That’s with the assumption that he comes back healthy. It is impossible to make predictions without knowing the summer moves, and not just for Chicago, but there is still a lot to like about the Bulls moving forward. As much as Rose has come off like a drama queen as the saga dragged on, I don’t question his ability to make a major impact and make the Bulls better.

John Schuhmann, NBA.com:If? Ugh. They will a top-three team in the East. But they’re not necessarily better than Indiana if they can’t add some more depth. Thibs is going to be Thibs and ride his guys, but they need competent back-ups at the three and five spots to ease some of the burden on Luol Deng and Joakim Noah and keep those guys fresh throughout the season.

Sekou Smith, NBA.com: If? If they get him back next year? Are you trying to start a riot in Chicago? The Bulls are definitely going to have the services of Derrick Rose next season and that will ensure their status as one of the top four teams in the East for the 2013-14 season, provided he and a few of his friends can stay healthy for the majority of the season. Rose knows that he owes Bulls fans a season they won’t forget, especially after the way things were handled this season. The epic grind they showed throughout this season and into the playoffs should be proof to Rose and his camp that there is plenty of talent around him to help win at the highest level. The assembly of said talent doesn’t guarantee anything, as we’ve seen in so many other cases (Los Angeles Lakers this season). But it does mean you have a chance to compete at the highest level. And that’s where these Bulls belong with a healthy Rose in the lineup.

Lang Whitaker, NBA.com:… they become the second-best team in the East. In some ways losing Rose for this season could end up being a net-gain, as the other Bulls have all had chances to carry bigger loads and, in turn, mature and improve in ways that probably would have taken longer had Rose been dominating the ball and shouldering his usual load.

Davide Chinellato, NBA.com/italy:They will have a shot at the Heat. But they need to reshape their roster. I’d probably start using the amnesty clause on Carlos Boozer, using the cap relief to bring another big man to Chi-town. Then I’d re-sign Marco Belinelli (he’s had a real good year) because he would form a terrific backcourt with Rose. And I’d see if there’s anything we can find that’d say why they had so many injuries — what caused them to break down physically — in the most important time of the year. [Davide Chinellato is the editor of NBA Italia (nba.com/italy)]

Eduardo Schell, NBA.com/spain:Who knows what the future holds for the Bulls. Maybe Rose playing again ends up as a setback for Krypto-Nate, Jimmy Butler (or others), who both have stepped up and performed well beyond expectations. With D-Rose, the Bulls’ playing style might change and there can be a big ‘ego’ problem. Again, who knows. Teammates, though they’ve claimed to understand, might even harbor some resentment for how Rose handled this postseason. There have been lots of talks during the season regarding Boozer and Deng so lets see how they come into play. Lets put it this way: adding pieces doesn’t always end up being a great result. But there’s an ancient Chinese saying: the most beautiful flowers blossom during the toughest times. [Eduardo Schell is the editor of NBA España (nba.com/spain)]

Selçuk Aytekin, NBA.com/turkey: Derrick Rose is one of the best basketball players on the planet. If a healthy D-Rose came to the Chicago Bulls or virtually any other team in NBA, that team would become a contender. I have questions about his current physical health, so hopefully he is 100 percent ready to play, as his doctor’s said. But, yes, if he’s back to full strength, the Bulls will be talking about the Larry O’Brien Trophy. [Selçuk Aytekin is the editor of NBA Turkiye (nba.com/turkey)]

95 Comments

@J.R. You obviously don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s simple so pay attention shortbus. One game the bulls won, one game they lost by 10, n another by 3. So EVEN if I give miami the 2 blowouts, if you think rose can’t add TEN points!! The ONLY player to stop lebron’s reign of MVP, than you must be smoking something. What ever it is I’m sure it’s HIGHLY illegal. Stay in school buddy…crack kills.

problem with the bulls is that they are not an elite team…look around the nba and look at elite teams…miami//spurs/thunder..etc…these are teams that have 2-3 superstars or a bunch of allstars playin together…bulls have one elite player in drose and a bunch of regulars…boozer was supposed to be a 20-25pts a night and 10 reb a night…hes not that, noah, hes just an idiot who screams at every thing..thats really it..drose is your 25-30 a night guy..you gotta have another 20-25 pts type of guy playin with you on the startin lineup..your top 2-3 guys have to put up at least 50-60% of the teams points..this is how the nba is now..they dont have that..they are really one huge piece away from becomin an elite team…otherwise your just gonna keep seein a team thatll win 50+ games a year and then have first round or second round exists…especially while the big 3 in miami are around..maybe when dwayne retires in 3-4 seasons lebron would be in his 30s as will bosh maybe bulls may have a shot..i doubt it…i have a feelin drose might bolt outta chicago in the next 5 years if he doesnt get his help..

heat would love to get butler and joakim from chicago! It would be awesome for heat( it will strengthen their bunch to no end and also gives power in the post). Wade can train butler for 2 years( the guy has stamina and can play! But he is no wade yet). Miami will continue to buttress the core if they win this year!

just flat out think Jordan is a greater player than myself. I wore number 23 because i thought i was the next Jordan only to realise how tough it can be when the game is on the line in the playoffs. That is why i went to Miami because they wanted rings and i wanted rings and even Ray Ray came because he wanted more ring too.

I just flat out think Jordan is a greater player than myself. I wore number 23 because i though i was the next Jordan only to realise how tough it can be when the game is on the line in the playoffs. That is why i went to Miami because they wanted rings and i wanted rings and even Ray Ray came because he wanted more ring too.

It all depends on how every player develops over the summer. With the starting line up being Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler (Yes him), Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, and Joakim Noah. Derrick Rose needs to a consistent scorer in jump shots and when he drives to the basker, and he can further develop it over this summer to be an even better shooter. Jimmy Butler is an important role to play against Miami. He’s one of the very few that is able to defend Lebrom James, though Lebron can still beat him down on the post. Jimmy Butler needs to get quicker and stronger, all the while get a consistent jump shot. If he can do this, then he’ll be more effective against Lebron, or Wade. Luol Deng just needs to get healthy, he does not really need to develop anything, just continue to work on everything he knows, then he’ll be fine. Boozer needs play at the level that he’s been playing at all season, the Utah Jazz boozer is what we need, and be that second scoring option we paid him to be. Noah needs to play at this level of basketball.

As for the bench, Marco Belinelli needs to develop a catch and shoot game. We need him to be a Kyle Korver. The same Korver that helped us beat Miami in the regular season games. Taj Gibson garbage this is season, and needs to become what he used to be, and become a stronger guy on defense. Kirk needs to get healthy and get his jump shot back. Nate needs to, play at this level of basketball, be that main energy guy on the bench, like how Noah is on the starting line up. All that’s left is that second center, and Nazir won’t cut it. Bulls need to get another like Omer Asik.

If the bulls can all develop, the things I just stated, then they can beat Miami. However, I’m not underestimating Miami. Miami can easily adjust to any style of play, so even an improved Bulls team will still have a lot of trouble. It will all come down to game seven.

Derrick Rose will be playing after this chaotic 12-13 season. No more the Return for Mr.Rose , its reality now. The bulls have players like Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson, Richard Hamilton “if not injured” and other weapons to build a championship team. My predictions is that Derrick Rose , Marco Belinelli , luol Deng , Jimmy Butler, and Joakim Noah will lead this bulls team to a championship and take down Miami.

Actually the pacers could stop em also, they ranked as the #1 defense in league(statistically). But the West conf. is just full of elite teams, who are just as hungry and talented(maybe even hungrier).

Seems to me nobody can’t beat the Heat. Bulls can’t do it I really thought they could, they gave them something but the Heat ran away with them. Knicks can’t do it because they can’t beat the Pacers. Spurs and the Grizzles will be a challenge for them.

How can people even blame Rose for not going in the playoffs against the most athletic team in the league? And what would of happened if he tore the other knee, or if he got injured again? Woulda been a big waste of everything chi-town’s been waiting for.

Sure, ask someone from Italy, Spain or Turkey, or a guy called Lang…… Why not ask the janitor of some random bar that has a flatscreen on which they sometimes show basketball or some hobo who has once slept in the park near a hotel where, just a few years before, Don Reid (“Hi, I’m Don, I foul”) spent the night…

Please stop introducing more so called nba.com personalities. We get to read enough trivial opninions as it is.

Yes, it was a bad-look on Rose to sit out when he was giving the ok to play. But if you not ready mentally than its not a bad move. I’m a Bulls fan, but i did expect the Heat to win. Hell they have a whole All-Star team with all-stars on the bench.

But when you have a healthy Rose next year along with Hamilton, Butler, Boozer, and noah at once. Then they have a nice bench to come off and get buckets like Robinson, Hinrich, Belinelli, and Gibson. So I like us giving it a run at the Championship next year. That’s not even including who we pick up from the draft.

its hard to beat miami 1 game…. try beating them 4. Miami is a much better team than all the rest. Yall realize that after Miami beat you 1 game thats usually it for you. stop being Miami haters and be a NBA fan and admit that their good.

They’re(they are) not their(as in ownership)* Miami is a good team, but THEY’RE not invincible. Heck, it’s who ever gets it done in the playoffs…period. Dallas showed you that, and anyone of the teams left can show you that again. No one is unbeatable, I think you need to be a little bit more humble and get your head out of the sand. It’s not a good look, because if they DO lose a series, you best believe that you’ll see all the heckling you sore winners do tenfold. I’m just saying…

The bulls can be a HUGE contender in the east next season and maybe is one of the teams that can beat miami, all they hav eto do in the offseason is sign some key guys like paul millsap and tiago spiltter and they will be top contender. But this is kind of impossible. But still, if they keep their team unchanged, i think they will still be a contender.

The Heat barely beat the Bulls with them missing most of their key starters…lol Healthy Bulls will beat the Heat convincingly! 27 game streak….beat while numerous injuries…play off sweep stopped by depleted Bulls as well…Miami in trouble next year.

I see many people talking about wrestling from BUlls. Ok there were some flagrant plays but most of it was pure hard basketball.. I mean , come on, we’re in the playoffs, they realize that it;s very difficult ti win against Heat. Do you expect them to play offense and loose defence?? Lol, watch games from Bulls this year, their defence won the games… Now, D-Rose should have come back by february or March , it was too late in the playoffs…. Next year I’m sure that he will be healthy, better and the Bulls will be real conference (and title) contenders

It was a great opportunity for the Chicago Bulls unused revenge next year injury or other adversity. Miami nie jest już takie dobre jak w zeszłym roku. To była wyjątkowa szansa. Niestety aby zostać mistrzem trzeba do tego dorosnąć. Rose to be very concerned about the money and the future is not about the here and now but forgot or did not learn it in school because tomorrow may not be. Carpe Diem Indiana !!!

Amnesty Boozer, sign Monta Ellis. There’s your second scoring option. And maybe the Boozer amnesty will free up enough cap space to land D12 in the windy city too. It’s a long shot, but hey, you never know. Gibson to starting PF and your starting lineup is Rose, Ellis, Deng, Gibson and Howard. Noah, Butler, Belinelli, Hinrich and Robinson make a reasonably strong bench. Defensively they improve and offensively they improve two fold. It’s all about Boozer, he has to go if they want rings.

fan of a dead game at this time in the nba skill has little to do with anything all i can say is you ask anybody that truly knows the game players coaches former players real fans of the game NO ONE let alone a first team defender is playing 11 qtrs of substantial minutes without fouling at least once im a life long fan of the sport and i hate to say it but its dead no better then wwe at this point hell shaq and chuck are even taken pics with the rock lol thanks stern

For sure Derrick Rose will be back for the Bulls next season, he has had a lot of time to rest, more than 1 year after recovering from his rehab from torn ACL injury is more than enough for him to recover his full strength. But others have to be healthy as well such as Deng, Hinrich, etc. I guess it’s better if they get back Omer Asik back to the team, they need another big man to protect the rim aside from Joakim Noah. Robinson and Rose would be a perfect pair in making alley-oops as we see in James-Wade of the Heat.

Conference finals, or semis depending on who they play. They’re not gonna beat Miami unless something drastic changes. Indiana is only gonna get better and i expect Brooklyn to get a good coach and possibly be a top 3 seed in the east. I don’t expect the Knicks to be as good next year, but who knows, they need changes though

Personally seeing Chicago play is the most fun i have had watching Basketball. I don’t know who hates the Heat more now whether is Boston Paul Pierce or Noah? The excitement is just building up watching these teams hate the heat. Are you all enjoying the show?? Hey Chicago if Basketball does not work out for you i am sure all of you can try out as professional wrestlers for the WWE lol.

the bulls will guaranteed be a 1 or 2 seed next season granted everyone on the roster remains healthy…picking up a 3 and a 5 to give deng and noah some rest would be ideal, and a healthy d rose? yikes! robinson is the guy off the bench who can create his own shot which would allow rose rest as well…with butler developing as a good scorer, excellent defender and a great slasher, playing off of rose should really propel his game and what he offers the team. if rose returns as good or better than he was, defenses are really going to be in trouble..belinelli is a great spot up shooter and will surely get a lot of open looks with rose moving defenses the way he does. if boozer continues to produce offense the way he did, this is definitely gonna be scary. bulls in ’14!! VIVA LOS TOROS

Can’t believe Rose didn’t come back during the regular season or in the playoffs. Seeing those other Chicago players who are also quite injured playing their hearts out just makes me despise Rose. I know people handle injuries differently but he should’ve at least been on the floor for moral support, but no, he has to show up before games and pretend to practice and then sit in his fancy suit on the bench. Even if he is good next year, he’s not the kind of player that I’d like to watch, got no heart, got no pride for being a Bull.

I am disappointed with the bulls not playing Hamilton and Rose.
There is always going to be role players not playing at a 100% but other teams Role players play through injuries all the time. take a look at Kobe, Andrew bynun, bosh Dwade and many other played through injuries in order to help their team win a championship.

So apparently, E.C., the Bulls are worse than the Heat, but who beat the Heat’s 27 game streak? Uh, yeah, I’m pretty sure it was the Bulls! And who only has one ring? Lebron! He thinks he could get a second one, but just like Micheal Jordan once said, It’s harder to get your second, than it is to get your first….

Bulls still don’t got a chance to beat the Heat D-Rose needs somebody to play off of and nobody has been that consistent. I woulda tried to get Rudy Gay even Melo when he was on the trading block. It’s the fact that the Bulls had so many opportunities to become better through trades and didn’t take them why Rose didn’t come back this Yr. it was pointless.

I’m surprised that some of these comments say bulls will be in the top 4 teams in the east. They were almost the 4th best team in the east w/out Rose and w/soooo many injuries…how could they not predict them to be Heat beaters??

i`m just wondering.. some people here really get paid for writing and i think?!?! wtf?!?!
amnesty boozer?? you best player this year?!?! are you for real… Boozer stays till next year stop dreaming.. and Booz is gonna be huge again next season!!!
the bulls will be the Top Dog for next year remember that!!! next years champions: Chicago Bulls with 2nd time MVP D-Rose
plus 3 allstar players: Noah – Boozer – Butler!!

rose should just go to the d league.he chickened out on his team but i didnt see him chicken out on those paychecks seeing as he was in those designer suits on the bench.i say he and bynum should have to pay back the bulls and 76ers respectively for false advertising and pretences.if a player cannot perform his duties he should not be entitled to a paycheck period.go do some deskwork for the team and earn a few dollars .as for the tam next season i think they should get new players here and there and shape up a good core like denver did.better rely on alotta working parts than bank on one that may not even show up and when it does will sit on the bench .heat are the best in the east so far no doubt.pacers are next on challenge.knicks can stop pretending as well coz melo is a one man show.no team ball in melo.i say trade rose for a few good pieces like klay t and harrison b from gsw and you have support for deng ,noah,butler,nate,hienrich , bellinli and co.rose needs to join beasley ,kwame,andrew bynum,gilbert arenasand a few other washups and play in seatle as an expânsion team already .bulls deserved more than suits on the bench from rose.rose betrayedthe bulls.makes me feeland see that he didnt deserve the mvp trophy he won.real champions never back down from opportunity to challenge.rose did.thye nba should have a rule that its employees cannot cash a check they never earned within 48mins of real gametime on the hardwood floor.

oh for god’s sake he will never be the same because..it’s simple, he is scared. such a little girl!
the doctors have cleared him out since March so now everything is in his head. No respect for athletes like him. He is making millions and all the help from the Bulls organization…he is just a baby!!!

I’ve waited patiently for Rose to return. I didn’t care if he came back next season… But what bothers me the most, is that he heavily considered coming back for the Miami Heat series. He said he would only return if he was 110% ready. If he considered it, it’s not a question of his mental stability anymore. He makes out this situation now as if he doesn’t want to play. Or Risk getting re-injured… especially against the former champions.

The Bulls are fine… and I’m finally cool with Rose going ahead and sitting out this season. D. Rose OVERstands his position as the Bulls franchise player and he is completely restructuring his body and taking his therapy serious, so that he comes back better than the player he left as. The next time we see Derrick Rose play, he is gonna blow the minds of everybody who ridiculed his decision to sit. Derrick Rose isn’t the avg basketball player with hopes of having just a 9 yr career, then retiring. His work ethic, and natural ability as a player is elite, and he plans to be one of the greatest players ever, when its all said and done. So I respect his decision, because talent wise, the things he can do offensively with the basketball are already as good ‘if not better than’ L. James. Bron is considered more dominant because of his size & strength.. but I really feel like Rose is more ‘skilled’. If his strengh and skill are both gonna improve by him taking this extra time…. its worth the wait. We’re already a top playoff team without him.

This Bulls squad has grown & it’s a different team than when they lost to Miami in the playoffs 2 years ago. Rose is not scared to play, he’ll be back at the start of next season. When he’s playing will anyone still say he’s scared? We’ll all see why he needed to come back 100% ready. As long as Rose & the rest of the team stays healthy the Bulls will be the no.1 threat to the Heat. They’ll have the 3 things necessary to win a championship – talent, chemistry, great coaching. They’ll be legitimate contenders for a championship especially after what they’ve accomplished this season.

Iv watched the bulls religiously through the last couple of seasons..(been a fan since 94!). I can understand peoples frustration at rose’s non-season…but we all know that with the roster thib is building he is lloking to the future…not only have the bulls had a great season of highs and lows, we have to think of the circumstances! pretty much all of our 2012-13 starters have been out for lengthy periods of time. i think we had a 2 or 3 game stretch where we had on 2 active bench players! (Mohammed and cook!) iv been a firm believer that rose and thib have made the right decision in not playing him for this season after a terrible injury….the media have obviously built up rose’s supposed arrogance and star man attitude..but this is a guy who cares a lot about his team..chicago…he doesn’t even like the all-star game, he’d rather be on the court playing for wins..i honestly think we have a chance at the title next season if we provide cover for noah..i’d also agree with releasing boozer to free some cap up, gibson can have some more minutes…nate will not be affected by rose’s comeback, as he played a completely different game..a firecracker playing 10-15 mins. also, wade has past it now..more injuries this season…heat need a revamp next season!

gmmm, bulls next season?? same as this.. will be smashed out by heat.. there are NO second on third team on the east.. No silver or bronze rings at all.. Guys, we have to wait until MH tired to win.. No other options..

Find rotation guys for Thibs to mold – just like they did this year. Maintain cap flexibility for ’14 when they can reshape roster. Nate + Bellinelli prob played well enough to get more money somewhere else. Plug Jimmy Butler at the 2 for 82 games and you’re a key Miami injury from contending. A very key injury.

Yeah they’re not beating Miami with Rose back. They have the same problem they had when the lost to Miami in thse playoffs, they only have 1 person who can create their own shot down the stretch. Watching Rose get crowded is just annoying. Nate cant be that guy cos you cant play him with Rose in crunch time. Rip never was. Marco is a catch and shoot. Butler is improving, but cant iso. So they need someone other than DRose to create (see OKC since Russ went down). Amnestying Boozer will only help if you get someone who can score consistently

Thibs should start playing his other players for longer minutes. He shouldn’t rely too much on Rose, Deng and Noah as he used to. Though its easy to blame bad luck as cause for the team’s injury woes, fatigue and too much minutes is also an obvious factor. Since guys like Butler, Nate, Taj, Bellineli are stepping-up, Thibs should start giving them more minutes next year. This second unit should play more than the Bench Mob they had back then. It wouldn’t matter if the Bulls ended up in second or even first place at the end of the season if they don’t have enough manpower when the playoffs come.

Definitely, the Bulls will be one of the elite teams in the NBA when and if Rose comes back next season. The Bulls-less Rose has already proven their worth with him mostly “missing” in 2 regular seasons. Their current roster has shown their are capable of beating the “wannabe” contenders of the east even if being plagued with injuries and missing their MIPs(Most Important Players).

Yet if nothing changes with the Bulls after this post season (albeit with a healthy Rose, Deng and Noah) I highly doubt that they could contend with the Pacers or the Heat. The Bulls are riddled with injuries because of unfortunate circumstances but I blame mostly Thibs with his coaching of “ride until it breaks” style of play. If there isn’t a lucky shake-up in the Bulls roster or maybe Thibs never mellows down then definitely the Bulls will still be cooked next season.

THey gotta rebuild, they have a roster full of bench players who got no skills or talent and a couple of role players who cant score. Their coach forces them to play hard but they cant transform into all stars just by playing physicall, Derrick Lose is not a good scorer either,the guy can only score lay ups so unless they totally rebuild their roster they are gunna dissapoint big in playoffs like they already have in the recent past.

Have you ever actually watched a basketball game ? Dribbled a basketball !?! Listen to what your saying.Roster full of bench players ? No talent ? Derrick LOSE !?! As i recall, the bulls have two, arguibly three all stars (not including D.Rose) and a potent scorer and high energy man in Nate Robinson. And before this season (which if they have no talent how did they make it to the playoffs, and get past the first round pretty much on theyre third string) they had the best record TWO years in a row ? Derrick Rose IS the best Point Guard in the league, and only in that because he is the only PG with a MVP. And not a good scorer ? He is top 5 offensively in the league ! And he does have a jump-shot because he improved it in his MVP season. And hes already said his jumper will be alot more effective now that hes spent all this time working on it. So, like I said, have you ever even watched basketball ?

Blah blah, face the facts get real Bulls fans, ur team is WEAK OFFENSIVELY..and yeah Derick Lose can score only lay ups, he got no midrange game and his 3 point shooting also needs alot of improvement, DONT U EVER WATCH BBALL GAMES?!?

Love to see D-Rose back along with Deng and Henrich. They make the Bulls a more effective team. But it isn’t like the Bulls are the only team in the Eastern Conference with injury problems and lack of talent depth. Every team in that conference have really struggled to keep pace with Miami. Boston and Chicago were the only true threats to Miami two years ago and now if Rose comes back it will probably be just them. The Knicks, yeah, right, they are about to get knocked out by Indiana who will most likely get swept by Miami if they played each other in the conference finals. This is the negative effect that’s happened to this conference since “The Decision.” One super team, one contender if a certain individual plays, and the rest pretenders.

derrick rose can come back, but they’re still not better than miami. i mean, even in the year lebron choked away the finals, the heat HANDLED the bulls in 5 games without home court advantage. and lebron’s about 5x better than he was back then.

That’s kind of a Ludacris statement, just bc the Heat beat the bulls in 5 games 2 years ago doesn’t mean Miami is better. That was the first time the bulls had been in the ECF since the Jordan era. So it was lack of experience. If you have a full healthy bulls team. Mentally and physically ready. Then Miami is beatable. But Thibs playing these guys heavy mins is gonna make that a harder goal to accomplish year after year.

Totally agree! Nate is taking Rose position in Chicago’s attack (dribble penetration) and boy he is making some amazing shots. WHo do you think will take those shots if Rose was there? Yeah, they would be a lot better. Maybe even in a position to face Miami in the Conference Finals instead of the second round. The results, to me, will still be the same…

Not a Heat fan but I’m pretty sure you just called a championship team overrated. A team that the bulls and many others have not been able to beat in the past three years and just continues to improve year after year.

Of course Rose will help a lot next season. The talk about moving guys and rebuilding around Rose is ludicrous. The Bulls and coach Tom Thibodeau have proven to be great. It is the team spirit and collective players this year who got the Bulls to the playoffs, including Boozer. Luol Deng and the defense of the Bulls has been magnificent all season. It was the superstar who was a no show. In his absence other teammates had to play longer minutes, they were stretched thin (and risked greater injury to cover the star who was clear to play). But, they did not complain. So, they are the real heroes and have earned the worlds respect. When Rose (or his brother) feels he is ready to play, the others can focus on their role and do that much better. I agree those who played grew from this experience. Rose did not gain anything sitting on the bench (since he was not hurt)..We know physically Rose s one of the best players in the world, and he will recover. Mentally, we don’t know how tough he is. The fact that he did not contribute at all, has to be a concern. Like DHoward, the self-serving superstar mentality can be deadly to a team. It was detrimental to the chances of the Bulls (and the Lakers) chance of winning. The Bulls beat miami without their superstar during the regular season. During the playoffs they needed all players to have a positive attitude, maybe luol and Hinrich (Kobe) would have been spared some minutes, mental and physical energy… and be healthy. Anyway, the Bulls will figure it out, and most definitely be contenders next year. DRose will be great, and hopefully all will become better team mates because of the experience.